Improvement in extracting turpentine from trees



BENJAMIN I. HAZARD, OF GEORGETOWN, SOUTH CAROLINA.

Letters Patent No. 111,743, dated February 14, `1871.

IMPROVEMENT iN EXTRACTING TURPENTIN FROMTREES,

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

I, BENJAMIN LHAZARD, or' Georgetown, District of Georgetown, South Carolina, have invented an improved Mode oi' Ilxtracting 'lurpentine from '.lrees, oi' which the following is a specification.

Figure l is a front elevation, and

Figure 2 a sectional elevation.

This 'invention has for its object t-o make virgin dip, or the best quality, of all the turpentine that is extracted from a tree; whereas,heretotbre it has been found impossible to make virgin dip oi' more than a portion of the turpentiue, owing to the fact that, by the processes in use, that portion of the turpentine produced in the latter part of the first season, and in all seasons subsequent to the first, is exposed too long to the action of the sun and air while flowing from the hacks iu the tree Ato the receptacle.

My invention consistsin cutting shallow grooves in the sap-wood of the tree tothe depth of an inch and a half, or thereabout, and of a lengt-h depending upon the-size of the tree, said grooves being Vshaped,aud their sides being inclined downward to the radius'of` the tree so as to hold the turpentine which exudes from the wound, aud isconduct-ed by the groove to Athe point of convergence of its sides, where is made a channel radially of the tree, through which the turpentine trickles and -falls into a vessel that is hung under the channel.

Referring to the drawinga a are the sides oi the V-shaped grooves cut in a tree, A.

b is the orifice or channel at the point of convergence ofthe sides a.

c is the vessel, hung under the orifice b in any suitble 'n'ianuer;

Although several of lthese grooves are shown out one above another in the tree, yet it should .be understood that these are formed-at different times, the lowestV first, the next to the lowest second, and so on,

and only one is used at atime. One V-shaped groove may be enough for a season, or several may be made in the same season, according to circumstances.

'lhe exposed sap-wood above each groove is hacked in lines parallel to the sides ofthe latter in the usual manner, as shown at (l, foi' the purpose ot' opening the vessels in the tree where the turpentine is stored, and v 'causing it to run down iuto the V-shaped grooves,

said hacks being made at the rate of about one pair a week.

It will be seen that, by this method, turp'entiue is collected with the least possible exposure to sun and air, having onlv to run from the hacks to the receiving-vessel.

When the number of hacks above any one of the V-shaped grooves is so great as to,sub jeot the turpen` tine to too much exposure during its flow to the receiver, a new groove is cut, and the vessel o moved upward to it.. 'lhis may be done from month to month, or as ofteneas' found necessary.

By this method, also, the deep boxes which it has been `customary to out into the tree to receive the turpentine are dispensed with, to the great benefit ofthe trees, which, by said boxes, are greatly injured.

I assert that virgin-dip turpent-ine may he collected from one years end to another by this process, and also that more turpentine is produced than by any other method.

I claim as my invention- The method of collect-ing,turpentine by means of V-shaped grooves, a, cut in the side of a tree, and channels, b, cut in the grooves, 'as/and' for the purpose specified.

BENJAMIN I. HAZARD.

Witnesses:

GEO. E. BROWN, G. O. BROWN. 

